i'm larry beil. >> and i firefighter died when force of an air tanker dropped a huge tree on top of him. >> wayne freedman has more on this story. wayne? >> reporter: this report supplies many more specific details. these are the kinds of fire images people marvel at. super tankers lining up to drop retardant. it's risky work. this killed battalion chief matt burchett and injured three others. something went wrong when the plane came in too low, at 100 feet, not 300 feet as sprieb. here's the deputy chief scott mclean.

chief burchett died when this tree was knocked over. the planes and firefighters had been working to clear a line. despite a warning to clear the area, the utah team never acknowledged. the drop that ht them contained six gallons of retardant. it weighs nine pounds per gallon. it happened in two seconds. >> it came down on the chief and there was other debris that cam firefighters. >> reporter: as to why the plane came in too low, with don't know. we don't know whether the plane sunk or was led in by a spotter plane. that's dwroet be determined. >> new details about the redwood city man arrested for sexually abusing children.

angel gutierrez work as babysitter on a child website. so far five were victims, boys under the auj of 18. his jobs could have given him access to more victim. he also worked as a driver for uber. they say they've now suspended him. the sheriff's department is asking anyone who knew him to contact him. >> reporter: new scare for people living in the housing development on the old hunter's point naval shipyard. it was known to be contaminated. despite a cleanup, residents were notified a radioactive item was found near homes. eric thomas reports. >> reporter: they live at hunter's point. they were aware when they bought that the soil was contaminated, but this is something new. >> we saw a letter yesterday that indicated there was radium

found in the soil. >> reporter: they're among the activists gathering to complain that federal and local governments are not cleaning up the site. >> reporter: for decades toxic chemicals from ships leaked in along with radioactive paint and contaminants from nuclear tests. they promised to clean up, but the navy has accused tetra tech, one of the companies involved in the cleanup, of falsifying results. tetra tech denies it. the device was found on the other side of this fence and it's particularly worry some because they live right in that building. she's 8 1/2 months' pregnant. >> we don't know long-term effects and with a baby on the way, this is really scary. >> reporter: this is the device.

this doctor believes it contains radioactive 226. >> everything from itching skin, determine a tie it is, skin cancer. one anomalous reading was identified as a historical deck marker and removed by the navy. they added, today we're confident that the parcel a site is safe and the object that was found poses no risk to residents or workers there. developer lennar says it was not found on their property. environmentalists say they'll test everyone within one square mile for radiation. an emotional moment today in wilmington, north carolina. firefighters united in prayer for mother and infant killed when a tree came down on their home. florence made landfall in the carolinas this morning, bringing torrential rain and wind gusts

topping 105 miles per hour. >> they're out here, they're under a lot of stress. they don't even know the conditions of their own homes or own families. ee's difficult situation for all of us. >> reporter: at least five people have died and more deaths are under investigation, so the number could go up. this afternoon it was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, but the worst is far from over. he spoke hours ago. >> resist the urge to go out and check on the damage. we have days of rain ahead of us. that means more rivers will rise and flood communities. >> here's a look at florence and where it is right now. let's get abc 7's meteorologist sandhya patel here to tell us what's going on. sandhya? >> it's a dangerous storm, obviously proven to be deadly. we see heavy rain pushing into north carolina, pushing into

south carolina. it made landfall at wrightsville beach. tornado watch boxes were up tonight. winds at 70 miles an hour. it's tracking west at 3, but it's really crawling. 2:00 p.m., a tropical storm. south carolina tomorrow becoming a depression. weakening, making that nearly turn toward the northeast. here's the take iowa waichl rainfall, 20 to 25 inches. storm surge up to 12 feet. flood willing continue for days. it will be catastrophic, damaging winds and the possibility of tornadoes. already a foot and a half of rain has fallen across parts of north carolina and they're still counting. larry? >> thank you. a nonprofit is helping with displaced people. leslie brinkley is live at medshare with more. leslie? >> reporter: that's right.

medshare is set to gear up with hurricane florence. last year they were dealing with seven disasters in seven weeks including hurricanes in texas and florida, and now it's florence. >> i mean pallets like this is everything. >> reporter: he walked through with a vast amount of surgical supplies donated by area providers along with the personal products that often make their way here from the public. 34 partners on the ground and in the carolinas are right now drawing up lists of what supplies they're going to need. volunteers from chevron today started boxing up m-95 masks and gloves that are likely to top those lists along with diapers. >> shampoo and soap and mouth wash and toothbrushes. people are evacuated from their homes and they're in evacuation centers and don't have that kind of stuff. >> part of the challenge of that

kind of stauf staying, we're not sheer where it's going to be and where we need to send those supply. any means that we k folks have been able to put things on cargoes. folks have donated cargo jets, corporate jepts in the past. last year someone donated theriot. we put some supplies on that. >> the yacht did go from here in the bay airy to per. they're still sending supplies to puerto rico even now as they gear up for the carolinas. if you want to help, you'll find a link own abc7news.com. medshare says don't brink things by this weekend. gather your supplies up. they'll be ready to handle your donations come monday morning at 8:30. >> leslie, thank you. the-mile-an-hour red cross is organizing relief for those affected by tropical storm florence. we'll see if the graphic will

pop up. text the word florence to 90999. >> a simple text. >> yes. >> all right. florence suspect the only storm causing problems. super typhoon mangkhut is blasting the philippines. it's massive, equivalent to a category 5 hurricane. winds are sustained at is 35 miles an hour with gusted as high as florence. thousands are under evacuation orders. officials say more than 4 million are at risk for the storm, which is predicted to plow into the chinese mainland. >> in san jose a man walked in on some teenagers who were burglarizing his home. he took pictures of the officers responding to the house. police say five people ran out to a stolen vehicle that was outside. but the car wouldn't start. they tried to run on foot and

couldn't get away. all of them are juveniles. no word on what happened to the sixth suspect. the city has agreed to pay fees. that's akordsing to the east bay times. the money will go to the preservationist group "save lafayette." they forced a memorandum and voters rejected the 44-home plan in june. >> three, two, one. abc news was in golden park. efforts to rename the sign after the late comedian began almost two years ago. the next step for a bay area surfer. this guy has come a long way since a terrible accident. it's an inspiring story you'll see only on abc7 news.

plus some entertainment legend putting her clout behind an issue. we activist lily tomlin is taking on the bay area on a subject affecting millions of americans. also sand ya will be back with your weekend get to the ross fall fashion event... ...and get the brands you want... check this out. ...at "oh, yeah" prices. from the latest trends to your favorite brands, it feels even better when you find them for less. at the ross fall fashion event. yes for less. (music throughout)

you know when you're at ross and you ...for how much?.. yes. that's yes for less. fall's best accessories are even better when you find them for less. at ross. yes for less. it's been two months since a well known santa cruz worker was surfing. brian hart became paralyzed. he's making remarkable progress despite all odds. >> reporter: it's nothing short of miraculous. the 53-year-old brian hart is out of bed, off a respiratoring and able to use a chin to control a special chair. just nine weeks ago he was left paralyzed below the neck after he crashed into rocks while

surfing. he was with his 15-year-old son santiago seen on the left who administered cpr and revived him. >> i came back. i had a choice. i heard my son calling me. i just couldn't leave my son and wife, and that's all i remember that day. >> reporter: adaptive technology is on brian to use his chin and voice to operate his smartphone. >> it motivates me to navigate through the phone and look at facebook or go to youtube and watch movies, you know, and all that stuff you normally do, and you appreciate it when you have the hands to do all that. >> we had a surprise for brian and his wife veronica, a stack of cards from abc 7 viewers. valley medical center is one of the country's two rehabilitation centers for spinal injuries. brian was excited two weeks ago he could start moving his thumb and toes and noticed leg

movement today. >> we're examining other parts ofs he body for improved sensation. >> we know that it's, you know, a slow recovery, and we're, you know, just taking one day at a time and enjoying what's happening. >> a gofundme campaign to help the hart family is still active and a plan is in the works. in san jose, david louie, abc7 c news. >> the start of movement is really fantastic. an update on a young female bear burned in the carr fire. he was released back into the woods. he was spotted a month ago licking his burned paws. she was taken in. the same therapy was used on two bears burned in a fire last year in southern california and

they're also back in the wild now. actress jane fonda and comedian lily tomlin are back in san francisco this afternoon. they're pushing for the national adoption of a living wage for millions of american restaurant workers. the abc7 news was at pacino cafe in the dog patch as the celebrity social activist headlines a fund-raiser for one fair wage. they're pushing for all 50 states to give at least the minimum wage. right now california is one of eight states requiring it. the rest allow workers who earn tips to be paid a lot less than minimum wage. >> many more women are working in places where they're paid basically a very low wage. like the nationally mandated wage federally is $2.15 an hour or $2.13 an hour. >> in fact, women make up two thirds of the nation's tipped

workers, and studies find those who depend mainly on tips are much more likely to suffer sexual harassment. in san francisco where rescue workers earn a minimum of $15 an hour base, the problem is less pervasive. >> the most important statistic to know is that california, which requires that they pay the full wage with tip on top has one half the rate of sexual harassment in the restaurant industry. >> tomlin and fonda emphasized the same point when they appeared at a women's conference back in april. now with this issue on the ballot, they plan to continue making appearances. tomlin will also do a show to benefit one fair age next thursday in berkeley zellerbach hall. a jetliner made what could be a flight into the future.

the flight was filled with some 16,000 gallons of biofuel. this is believed to be the longest commercial flight with that highest amount of fuel. the fuels are good for business and good for the environment that any time you reduce emissions, you'rable to reduce costs, and so the business ration aale is really clear. we're using biofuels and partnering with these california companies because it makes good sense for the planet. >> this renewable fuel was manufactured in cal fifornia foa company. they're the first to cut their carbon emissions in half by the year 2050. >> here at home some straifrmg looking clouds. look at that. abc reporter leslie brinkley captured this and viewer chris yeager captured this image in

nearby pead month. they call it a rare hole punch cloud. it happens when cold water dloplets freeze and drop from the center of the cloud and work outward causing that hole effect. ing. >> it's also known as a fall streak and it is rare here in the bay area, so if you saw it, usually a plane goes through and causes those frozen droplets to fall, creating that beautiful view. live doppler showing the clouds passing through. they're mostly high-level clouds. winds out of the northwest, gusting to 24 in concord, 25 in san francisco. it's not near as windy as it has been. from our emeryville camera, you're seeing the clouds filter the sun. 67 in oakland. moer began hill, one o our warmer spots. mt. tam cam, it's going to be a beautiful sunset. 77 in santa rosa, napa, 72, 81

in concorde and 79 in live livee >> we going to carry on with today's theme. notice middle to latter part of next week, we're going to warm it up. back to average by friday. here's a live pier from our santa cruz camera. it's a beautiful day for being out on the beach or sailing. low clouds tonight. little cooler tomorrow and it remains below average into next week. first thing in the morning you may have noticed the mornings are a little crisp per. low to mid-40s for the north bay. most of the rest of you, anywhere from the low to the upper 50s with a few clouds around. and then for the afternoon, 75 degrees in the south bay and morgan hill. 80 in gilroy. san jose.

downloading the app, you can track the temperatures and the app is free. lohsal toews. breezy, a few clouds lingering. 60 degrees. 64 in downtown san francisco. north bay, 70. san rafael getting up to 70. napa, 74 degrees. a little breezy at times and in the east bay, upper 60s from richland to oakland. sunshine in fremont. 70 degrees. while temperatures are not exactly where they should be this time of year. it is a pleasant mild pattern that we're in for most areas. inland tomorrow, 76, the auto moon festival in chinatown alzheimer's disease san francisco, clouds both mornings and sunshine. temperatures will start off in the 50s, getting up to the mid-60s for the afternoon. if you like the pattern we're in, then you'll be happy with tomorrow. cooler, breezier, low 60s. slight warming on sunday, but

temperatures remaining below average right on through the middle of next week before you start to see the changes. you feel the difference. we get some warmth by thursday and friday. mid to upper 80s inland, mid-60s coast side. >> nice weekend. >> beautiful weekend. >> thank you. you don't need to go to munich for octoberfest. the local celebration and how you can score free tickets next. that story's ahead. new at 6:00, a t "v magazine" show goes under cover and catches thieves breaking into cars in san francisco. however, their mission did not end the way they ♪ ♪ ♪ i put a spell on you

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a new search for nike since the ad with colin kaepernick came out. not only has it seen a big increase on social media, but nike's shares and stock at an all-time high. they could see $300 million on

its return in an initial investment that was around $5 million. it's paid off for them. >> for sure. it's a friday feeling. >> michael is here with free things. >> oh, wow. this is a good thing. two great things. octoberfest. san francisco -- look at this. if you have never been to this thing, it's a party. what is the duck dance? >> i doesn't know. i have never gone. >> hopefully you'll cash in on this. oktoberfest by the bay, it's coming up september 23rd. we're getting -- giving away tickets on family day. the event at pier 49 in san francisco. the first 150 people are going to get in on this. this is a 208-year-old tradition, so you might as well get in on that. >> that's a lot of fun.

>> it is a lot of fun. okay. check this candy out. this is absolutely amazing. it is a craft festival that's coming up, and you're going get one of these. it's $10 value. it's a sample fact that has popular flavors, traditional sea salt, vanilla, sea salt with chocolate. by the way, it's phenomenal. >> coconut, oh, yeah. >> these things are absolutely great. do those look about half empty, those bags? >> there's aing are. they were falling out of the bag when we carried it in. >> how do we get these? >> what a great question. go online and look for friday's free stuff. >> it's goo for the throat. >> oh, you're right. >> yes, help yourself. >> thank you, michael. >> all right. first responders get a new stamp. you'll see the big reveal along with a special guest to help

unveil it next. but first we want to thank douglas for this picture of last night's crescent moon. share your pictures with us with ♪ ♪ they're the moderne stone age family. ♪ ♪ from the town of bedrock. ♪ meet george jetson. ♪ ♪ his boy elroy. with instant acceleration, electric cars are more fun to drive and more affordable than ever. electric cars are here. plug into the present.

i'm ama daetz. coming up, new developments for san francisco's sinking, leaning, and cracking millennium tower. ahead see how it avoided getting yellow tagged today. also -- >> a new president could give 30 days' notice, and we're right back in the paris agreement. >> the closing message of the global climate action summit and the message of who's being asked to make the change now.

that's coming up at 6:00. >> thanks. we'll see you then. one of america's biggest heroes helped. >> oprah winfrey unveiled a new forever stamp honoring the first responders in santa barbara county. recent disasters have just devastated that area. those disasters hit home for winfrey. she owns a house there. >> the stamp is merely a symbol of what each of you represents. each of you represent the best of us, you represent the rising of courage, the rising of honor, the rising of compassion, endurance, survival, and thriving. >> the new stamp features a firefighter, police officer, and emergency medical worker. >> world news tonight with david muir is coming up next. >> for all of us here at abc7 news, thanks for your time.

our next newscast is in 30 minutes at 6:00. we'll see you then. tonight, a special edition of "world news tonight." hurricane florence makes landfall. we were on the air as hurricane florence slammed ashore, and quickly turned deadly. the storm churning at this hour. millions still bracing. the terrifying scene. water rising so quickly, families trapped inside their homes, inside their apartments, calling 911. dispatchers telling them to get to the second floor, get to the attic. our team right there on the rescues. and here in wilmington, we were on the scene where a mother and infant were killed. a massive tree coming down on their home. the father pulled out. the firefighters, and the prayer outside. in the dark tonight, more than a half million without power and growing. and now, the new warnings. flash flooding and tornadoes possible in the coming hours. and my interview with the